URL Shortener: Create Short Links
With the URL shortener go.ethz.ch, ETH members turn long web addresses into short links with custom alias, password protection, expiry date, QR code and click statistics.
What is go.ethz.ch?
go.ethz.ch is the URL shortener of the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich. It turns a long web address such as https://arch.ethz.ch/departement/departementstermine_main.html into a short, memorable link such as go.ethz.ch/termine. Short links are ideal for presentations, posters, flyers, QR codes, email signatures and anywhere a URL has to be typed or read aloud.
The service is open to all members of ETH Zurich. You sign in with your ETH account; no separate account is needed. Everyone manages their own short links and can see how often they are visited.
Create a short link
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Open go.ethz.ch, click Log in at the top right, then Login with ETH-Account. Sign in with your ETH username and password. Your account is created automatically on first login.
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Paste the long web address into the input field and press Enter or click the arrow. The short link appears below the field; use the copy icon to put it on the clipboard.
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For a custom alias, a password or an expiry date, tick Show advanced options before creating the link. The options are explained below.
Advanced options
| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
| go.ethz.ch/ (custom alias) | Your own alias instead of a random six-character string, e.g. go.ethz.ch/strategie. Letters, digits, hyphen and underscore are allowed. Aliases are case-sensitive: go.ethz.ch/Termine and go.ethz.ch/termine are two different links. Each alias can only be used once. |
| Password | Visitors must enter the password before they are redirected to the target page. |
| Expire in | The short link stops working after the given time, e.g. 2 hours or 30 days. Leave empty for permanent links. |
| Description | Internal note shown only in your link list; helps you find the link again. |
| Domain | Currently only go.ethz.ch. |
Manage your short links
Under Recent shortened links you see all your short links with target URL, creation date and number of visits (Views). The search field finds links by target, alias or description. The icons on the right of each row:
- Statistics (pie chart): visits by period, browser, operating system and referrer.
- QR code: show and download a QR code for the short link, e.g. for posters and slides.
- Edit (pencil): change the target URL, alias, password, expiry date or description.
- Delete (bin): remove the short link. It will no longer resolve.
Good to know
- Short links are public: anyone who knows the link can open it. Protect confidential targets with a password or rely on the access restriction of the target page.
- There are no anonymous short links without login, so it is always clear who created a link.
Migration in October 2026
Since 27 October 2026, go.ethz.ch runs on Kutt and replaces the previous service (Polr). What has changed:
- All existing short links and their click statistics were migrated and work unchanged.
link.ethz.chalso redirects togo.ethz.ch. - Your existing links appear under your account after your first login. If they are missing, contact the Service Desk; the old database then holds a different email address for you.
- Aliases are now case-sensitive. Existing aliases with capital letters also exist in a lower-case version.
- «Secret» links of the old service no longer exist; use password protection instead.
- Automatically generated aliases are now four characters long.
Not solved? Log in to open a ticket, or contact the D-ARCH Service Desk, servicedesk@arch.ethz.ch